System and method for video choreography

ABSTRACT

An electronic entertainment system for creating a video sequence by executing video game camera behavior based upon a video game sound file includes a memory configured to store an action event/camera behavior (AE/CB) database, game software such as an action generator module, and one or more sound files. In addition, the system includes a sound processing unit coupled to the memory for processing a selected sound file, and a processor coupled to the memory and the sound processing unit. The processor randomly selects an AE pointer and a CB pointer from the AE/CB database. Upon selection of the CB pointer and the AE pointer, the action generator executes camera behavior corresponding to the selected CB pointer to view an action event corresponding to the selected AE pointer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates generally to electronic entertainmentsystems and more particularly to a system and method for videochoreography.

[0003] 2. Description of the Background Art

[0004] In electronic systems, particularly entertainment and gamingsystems, a user typically controls the behavior or actions of at leastone character in a game program using some type of manually activatedcontroller device. Conventional controller devices include joysticks,switches, buttons, and keyboards. Further, some gaming systems usespecifically designed control devices, such as a steering wheel andpedals for driving simulations or a stick and pedals for flightsimulations. Yet more advanced gaming systems may use voice controls orhuman movements in a virtual reality game. The controller devices, voicecontrols, and human movements may be used to directly or indirectlycontrol character behavior and game action. For example, a game user mayinitially use voice commands to train a character or a group ofcharacters to uniquely respond to future game situations without furtheruser input.

[0005] Game designers typically tie together a video game's music withsimultaneously occurring game action events and/or character behavior.For example, it is standard practice in the design of video games toeither use the video action to drive the music, or to use the music todrive the video action. If a character is in a perilous situation, suchas teetering on the edge of a precipice or suddenly confronting a hatedenemy warrior, for example, the video action may drive the selection ofsinister sounding music to reflect a mood associated with the currentvideo action. Or, for example, if a character discovers a cache ofweapons or other useful tools, this action of the character's discoverydrives the gaming software to play cheerful sounding music.

[0006] In addition, a video game's music may drive the video game'saction events. For example, a user may, upon game initialization, viewpreprogrammed user independent video game action segments driven byaccompanying music. Generally, when music drives a video game's actionevents, a user has no control over the video game's characters oroutcome, but instead is viewing an instructional segment of the videogame designed, for example, to illustrate methods of game play to newusers.

[0007] Typically, the traditional functional dependence between a game'smusic and video action limits game spontaneity and introduces a type ofrigid, repetitiveness into game play. In a sense, a user's gameexperience is constrained by the standard relationships between musicand video action. For example, when a character crosses a rickety bridgein a traditional game with direct character control, the game softwareplays the same music passage for each occurrence of the same event(e.g., the crossing of the bridge).

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for anon-standard functional dependence between a gaming environment's musicand video.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, anelectronic entertainment system is disclosed for choreographing a videogame based upon a video game sound file. The system comprises a memoryconfigured to store an action event/camera behavior (AE/CB) database,game software such as an action generator module, and a sound filedatabase. In addition, the system includes a sound processing unitcoupled to the memory for processing a sound file selected from thesound file database, and a processor coupled to the memory and the soundprocessing unit. In one embodiment of the invention, the sound file is adirectors track. In another embodiment of the invention, the soundprocessing unit processes the sound file to generate a directors track.

[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the directors track includespreprogrammed marker bits that are either in a “1” state or a “0” state.Each “1” state marker bit marks an emotionally critical musical event inthe directors track and is associated with an AE/CB array stored in theAE/CB database. The processor is configured to process the directorstrack to detect “1” state marker bits and to access the AE/CB arrayscorresponding to the detected marker bits. The AE/CB arrays includecamera behavior (CB) pointers and action flag/AE pointer pairs. Eachaction flag/AE pointer pair is defined to be active or inactive,dependent upon each action flag's state.

[0011] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor randomlyselects one AE pointer from the active action flag/AE pointer pairs anddetermines an action location (AL) in a game world. Furthermore, theprocessor randomly selects one CB pointer from the CB pointers. Uponselection of the CB pointer and the AE pointer, the action generatorexecutes game software corresponding to an action event associated withthe randomly selected AE pointer and located at the game world AL. Inaddition, the action generator executes camera behavior software locatedby the selected CB pointer to view the action event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic entertainmentsystem, according to the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a mainmemory of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of datastorage of FIG. 2 according to the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a directors trackaccording to the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 4B is a graph of an emotional feeling of “fear” in a user,associated with the directors track of FIG. 4A, according to the presentinvention;

[0017]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an AE/CBdatabase of FIG. 3 according to the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an AE/CBarray of FIG. 5 according to the present invention; and

[0019]FIG. 7 is a flowchart of method steps for video game choreographybased upon a user selected sound file according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic entertainmentsystem 100 according to the present invention. The entertainment system100 includes a main memory 102, a central processing unit (CPU) 104, atleast one vector processing unit 106, a graphics processing unit 108, aninput/output processor 110, an I/O processor memory 112, a controllerinterface 114, a memory card 116, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface118, and an IEEE 1394 Interface 120, although other bus standards andinterfaces may be utilized. The entertainment system 100 furtherincludes an operating system read-only memory (OS ROM) 122, a soundprocessing unit 124, an optical disc control unit 126 and a hard discdrive 128, which are connected via a bus 130 to the I/O processor 110.Preferably, the entertainment system 100 is an electronic gamingconsole. Alternatively, the entertainment system 100 may be implementedas a general-purpose computer, a set-top box, or a hand-held gamingdevice. Further, similar entertainment systems may contain more or lessoperating components.

[0021] The CPU 104, the vector unit 106, the graphics processing unit108, and the I/O processor 110 communicate via a system bus 132.Further, the CPU 104 communicates with the main memory 102 via adedicated bus 134, while the vector unit 106 and the graphics processingunit 108 may communicate through a dedicated bus 136. The CPU 104executes programs stored in the OS ROM 122 and the main memory 102. Themain memory 102 may contain prestored programs and programs transferredthrough the I/O processor 110 from a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other opticaldisc (not shown) using the optical disc control unit 126. The I/Oprocessor 110 primarily controls data exchanges between the variousdevices of the entertainment system 100 including the CPU 104, thevector unit 106, the graphics processing unit 108, and the controllerinterface 114.

[0022] The graphics processing unit 108 executes graphics instructionsreceived from the CPU 104 and the vector unit 106 to produce images fordisplay on a display device (not shown). For example, the vector unit106 may transform objects from three-dimensional coordinates totwo-dimensional coordinates, and sends the two-dimensional coordinatesto the graphics processing unit 108. Furthermore, the sound processingunit 124 executes instructions to produce sound signals that areoutputted to an audio device such as speakers (not shown).

[0023] A user of the entertainment system 100 provides instructions viathe controller interface 114 to the CPU 104. For example, the user mayinstruct the CPU 104 to store certain game information on the memorycard 116 or instruct a character in a game to perform some specifiedaction. Other devices may be connected to the entertainment system 100via the USB interface 118 and the IEEE 1394 interface 120. It should benoted that FIG. 1 illustrates only one configuration of theentertainment system 100; and alternate embodiments having more or lesscomponents coupled in a different configuration are contemplated.

[0024]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the mainmemory 102 of FIG. 1 according to the present invention. The main memory102 is shown containing a game module 200 which is loaded into the mainmemory 102 from an optical disc in the optical disc control unit 126(FIG. 1). The game module 200 contains instructions executable by theCPU 104, the vector unit 106, and the sound processing unit 124 of FIG.1 that allows a user of the entertainment system 100 (FIG. 1) to play agame. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, the game module 200includes data storage 202, an action generator 204, a characteristicgenerator 206, a data table adjuster 208, and a sound file database 212containing one or more sound files (not shown).

[0025] In one embodiment, the action generator 204, the characteristicgenerator 206, and the data table adjuster 208 are software modulesexecutable by the CPU 104. For example, the CPU 104 executes the actiongenerator 204 to produce game play, including character motion andcharacter response. In addition, the CPU 104 accesses data in datastorage 202 as instructed by the action generator 204, thecharacteristic generator 206, and the data table adjuster 208.Furthermore, the CPU 104 executes the characteristic generator 206 togenerate a character's expressions as displayed on a monitor (notshown), the CPU 104 executes the data table adjuster 208 to update datain data storage 202 during game play, and the CPU 104 processes a userselected sound file, for example, from the sound file database 212, tochoreograph a video game sequence. The processing of the user selectedsound file in connection with the data storage 202 is described furtherbelow in conjunction with FIGS. 3-7.

[0026] For the purposes of this exemplary embodiment, the game module200 is a tribal simulation game in which a player creates and trainstribes of characters. However, the scope of the present invention coversany games in which characters simultaneously interact. Characterinteractions include, but are not necessarily limited to, individualand/or group fights, healing, retreats, and explorations, to name a few.

[0027]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of datastorage 202 of FIG. 2. Data storage 202 includes an action event/camerabehavior (AE/CB) database 308. Data storage 202 may include otherdatabases 310 as required by the game module 200. For example, database310 may include characteristics associated with game characters, such asphysical and emotional attributes. The AE/CB database 308 is describedfurther below in conjunction with FIGS. 5-6.

[0028] In one embodiment of the invention, a user initiates game playvia instructions communicated to the CPU 104 (FIG. 1) via the controllerinterface 114 (FIG. 1) and the I/O processor 110 (FIG. 1). A user mayselect the sound file from the sound file database 212 (FIG. 2) uponinitiation of game play. In operation, the sound processing unit 124(FIG. 1) processes the selected sound file, and sends the processedsound file to speakers (not shown) and to the CPU 104. In one embodimentof the invention, the sound file is a directors track. In anotherembodiment of the invention, the sound processing unit 124 processes thesound file to generate a directors track. An exemplary embodiment of thedirectors track is discussed further below in conjunction with FIG. 4A.

[0029] The CPU 104 analyzes the directors track for musical events. Forexample, musical events may be qualitatively associated with emotionsexperienced by game users as the selected sound file is played via thespeakers (not shown). Musical events, as related to user-experiencedemotions, may be defined, but not limited to, an accelerando (agradually faster tempo), an addolorato (a sorrowful passage), an allegro(a cheerful passage), an agitato (a lively passage, with excitement), acrescendo (gradually louder), a decrescendo (gradually softer), or afermata (a pause), among many others. As discussed further below inconjunction with FIGS. 4A-4B, characteristic points in the directorstrack may be associated with a variety of musical events.

[0030]FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a directors track410, according to the present invention. For example, sound processingunit 124 (FIG. 1) processes a user-selected sound file, where theuser-selected sound file is the directors track 410. In an alternateembodiment of the invention, the sound processing unit 124 processes theuser-selected sound file to generate the directors track 410. Thedirectors track 410 may comprise a sequence of segments 412, where eachsegment 412 includes one or more bytes (not shown) representative of themusic data stream. Furthermore, each segment 412 includes a marker bit415 that is either “on” (a “1” state, also referred to as a “1” bit) or“off” (a “0” state, also referred to as a “0” bit). The marker bit 415may mark musical events associated with the sound file. According to thepresent invention, a marker bit value in a “1” state corresponds to amusical event. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, a marker bitin a “0” state may correspond to a musical event. In yet anotherembodiment of the invention, the marker bits 415 are embedded in thedirectors track 410 at regular intervals. For example, if the directorstrack 410 is five minutes in length, then the directors track 410 may besegmented into six hundred segments, where each segment is 0.5 secondslong.

[0031] The FIG. 4A exemplary embodiment of the directors track 410 showsfour “on” marker bits (415 a, 415 b, 415 c, 415 d) corresponding to fourmusical events of the sound file. For example, each of the four musicalevents may correspond to an emotional feeling specified by the gamemodule 200 (FIG. 2). The emotional feelings may include, but are notlimited to, feelings of fear, rage, happiness, sympathy, and hope. Thescope of the present invention includes any music-generated emotionsexperienced by game users. For example, the four “on” marker bits (415a, 415 b, 415 c, and 415 d) may correspond to four musical eventsassociated with four emotional feelings in a game user.

[0032]FIG. 4B is a graph of user emotion, corresponding to the FIG. 4Aembodiment of the directors track 410, where a quantification of useremotion may be based upon results of processing, manipulating, ortransforming data (i.e., the bytes) of the directors track 410. Forexample, the sound file may have a “accelerando” or a “crescendo”segment that is associated with an emotion of fear, or a “fermata”segment that is associated with an emotion of anxiety. Thus, in the FIG.4A and FIG. 4B exemplary embodiments of the invention, the marker bit415 a associated with a first musical event 420 a may correspond touser-felt “hope,” the marker bit 415 b associated with a second musicalevent 420 b may correspond to user-felt “fear,” the marker bit 415 cassociated with a third musical event 420 c may correspond to user-felt“rage,” and the marker bit 415 d associated with a fourth musical event420 d may correspond to user-felt “anxiety.” The marker bits 415 are setto an “on” state when different user-felt emotions are realized, asillustrated in the FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B exemplary embodiments of theinvention. In another embodiment of the invention, the “on” marker bits415 are located in the directors track 410 at regular set intervals,independent of the user-felt emotion at those set intervals.

[0033] In operation, the CPU 104 (FIG. 1) determines the state of themarker bits 415 in the directors track 410. When the CPU 104 detects amarker bit value of “l,” such as the marker bit 415 a, then the CPU 104accesses the AE/CB database 308 (FIG. 3) to select an action event and acamera behavior associated with the given detected marker bit. Inaddition, the CPU 104 determines a location in the game world of theselected action event (referred to as an action location).

[0034] In the previously described embodiments of the invention, thedirectors track 410 includes preprogrammed marker bits set to “on” and“off” states to define musical events. However, in an alternateembodiment of the invention, the directors track 410 includespreprogrammed marker bits which define musical events. In thisembodiment of the invention, when the CPU 104 detects each marker bit inthe directors track 410, then the CPU 104 accesses the AE/CB database308 to select an action event and a camera behavior associated with eachdetected marker bit. In another embodiment of the invention, the soundprocessing unit 124 (FIG. 1) or another module of the electronicentertainment system 100 processes a selected sound file, and embedsmarker bits of given states into the directors track 410, dependent uponpredefined music-emotion criteria.

[0035]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the AE/CBdatabase 308 of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 includes associations between the markerbits 415 and AE/CB arrays 505. For example, when the CPU 104 (FIG. 1)detects the marker bit 415 a (i.e., the first “on” marker bit ofdirectors track 410 of FIG. 4A) that corresponds to the first musicalevent 420 a (FIG. 4B), the CPU 104 accesses AE/CB array 1 505 a. Whenthe CPU 104 detects the marker bit 415 b (i.e., the second “on” markerbit of directors track 410) that corresponds to the second musical event420 b, the CPU 104 accesses the AE/CB array 2 505 b. As discussedfurther below in conjunction with FIG. 6, the CPU 104 then selects anaction event pointer and a camera behavior pointer from the accessedAE/CB array 505, and determines an action location. The action generator204 (FIG. 2) then executes game instructions (located at the actionevent pointer) associated with the action event located at the actionlocation in the game world, using camera behavior instructions locatedat the camera behavior pointer.

[0036]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the AE/CBarray 1 505 a of FIG. 5. The AE/CB array 1 505 a includes actionelements AE11 602 a, AE12 602 b, and AE13 602 c; four camera behavior(CB) pointers CB11 pointer 604 a, CB12 pointer 604 b, CB13 pointer 604c, and CB14 pointer 604 d; and a default CB pointer 606. Each actionelement 602 includes an action flag 608 and an AE pointer 610. Forexample, the action element AE11 602 a includes an action flag11 608 aand an associated AE11 pointer 610 a, action element AE12 602 b includesan action flag12 608 b and an associated AE12 pointer 610 b, and actionelement AE13 602 c includes an action flag13 608 c and an associatedAE13 pointer 610 c. The state of the action flag 608 indicates if anaction event corresponding to the AE pointer 610 is currently active inthe game. For example, if the state of action flag11 608 a is “1,” thenthe action event corresponding to the AE11 pointer 610 a is currentlyactive in game play. If the state of action flag11 608 a is “0,” thenthe action event corresponding to the AE11 pointer 610 a is currentlynot active in game play.

[0037] The action flags 608 are dynamic variables. The action generator204 (FIG. 2) updates the action flags 608 at regular time intervalsduring game play. For example, a first action event corresponding to theAE11 pointer 610 a may be a fight between tribe 1 and tribe 2, a secondaction event corresponding to the AE12 pointer 610 b may be a character1 healing any other character, and a third action event corresponding tothe AE13 pointer 610 c may be a discovery of a significant game objector a special game character by tribe 3. When the first action eventcorresponding to the AE11 pointer 610 a is active during game play, theaction generator 204 sets the flag11 608 a to “1.” When the first actionevent corresponding to the AE11 pointer 610 a is not active during gameplay, then the action generator 204 sets the flag11 608 a to “0.”

[0038] The AE pointer 610 of each action element 602 points to anlocation corresponding to the given action. In one embodiment of theinvention, if the state of the action flag11 608 a is “1” and the stateof the action flags 608 b-608 c are “0,” then the CPU 104 selects theaction flag11 608 a, and the action generator 204 then executes gameinstructions located at the AE11 pointer 610 a. In another embodiment ofthe invention, if more than one action flag 608 has a state of “1,” thenthe CPU 104 randomly selects one of the action flags 608 with the stateof “1,” and the action generator 204 then executes game instructionslocated at the AE pointer 610 corresponding to the selected action flag608.

[0039] Once the CPU 104 has selected the action flag 608 and thecorresponding AE pointer 610, the CPU 104 then determines the game worldaction location of the action event associated with the selected AEpointer 610. Subsequently, the CPU 104 determines a CB pointer 604randomly. Each CB pointer 604 corresponds to a given camera behavior.Once the CPU 104 selects the CB pointer 604, the camera behaviorcorresponding to the selected CB pointer 604 is executed by the actiongenerator 204. For example, when the CPU 104 selects the action flag11608 a, determines an action location corresponding to the action eventassociated with the AE11 pointer 610 a, and selects the CB12 pointer 604b, then a user views the action event located at a game world locationspecified by the action location and associated with the AE11pointer 610a, using a camera behavior associated with the CB12 pointer 604 b.

[0040] The scope of the present invention includes any camera behavior.According to the present invention, camera behavior includes camerafilters to generate color, black & white, and graininess effects; cameramovements such as camera tilt, orbit, character and/or group tracking(e.g., group tracking of wounded characters); and camera special effectssuch as camera zoom, wide-angle, pan, blur, slow motion, and stop-time.The scope of the present invention includes other types of camerabehaviors as well, such as a camera view from a perspective of a givencharacter directed at another given character.

[0041] For example, the CB11 pointer 604 a may be associated with acamera positioned horizontally that orbits a point in a 360 degree ringlocated at ground level. The CB 12 pointer 604 b may be associated withstop-time as the camera circles the point in a 360 degree ring locatedat ground level. The CB13 pointer 604 c may be associated with a camerathat circles the point in a ring elevated above the ground and centeredabout a point. Finally, the camera behavior associated with the CB14pointer 604 d may be similar to the camera behavior associated with theCB13 pointer 604 c, but the rotation speed may have a different value.Since for each action event selected by the CPU 104, the CPU 104randomly chooses a camera behavior, it is unlikely that a given musicalevent will result in a display of the same action event with the samecamera behavior each time the musical event occurs.

[0042] In another embodiment of the invention, if no action flags 608are “on” for a given musical event 420, then the CPU 104 chooses thedefault CB pointer 606 to view the current action event. In anotherembodiment of the invention, the default CB pointer 606 is not enabled,and if no action flags 608 are “on” for a given musical event 420, thenthe CPU 104 randomly chooses a CB pointer, for example, the CB pointer604 c, to view the current action event.

[0043]FIG. 7 is a flowchart of method steps for video game choreographybased upon a user selected sound file according to one embodiment of theinvention. In step 705, a video game user selects a sound file uponvideo game initialization. In step 710, the sound processing unit 124(FIG. 1) of the electronic entertainment system 100 (FIG. 1) processesthe sound file. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the soundfile is the directors track 410 (FIG. 4A). The sound processing unit 124sends the directors track 410 to the CPU 104. Subsequently, the CPU 104processes the directors track 410 and detects a first marker bit of thedirectors track 410 in step 715. In step 720, the CPU 104 determines thestate of the detected marker bit. If the CPU 104 discovers that thedetected marker bit is in an “off” state, then in step 725, the CPU 104computes whether all the marker bits of the directors track 410 havebeen detected. If all the marker bits have been detected, then themethod is completed. If, in step 725, the CPU 104 determines that allthe marker bits have not been detected, then in step 730, the CPU 104detects the next marker bit. The method then continues at step 720.

[0044] If, in step 720, the CPU 104 ascertains that the detected markerbit is in an “on” state, then in a step 735, the CPU 104 accesses theAE/CB array 505 associated with the detected marker bit. The CPU 104then computes the number of action flags in the AE/CB array 505 (FIG. 5)that are “on” in step 740. Separately, in step 745, if the CPU 104determines that the number of “on” action flags are zero, then in step750, the CPU 104 selects the default CB pointer 606 (FIG. 6). The actiongenerator 204 (FIG. 2) executes the camera behavior located by thedefault CB pointer 606 in step 755, and the method then continues atstep 725.

[0045] Referring back to step 745, if the CPU 104 ascertains that thenumber of “on” action flags is not equal to zero, then in step 760, theCPU 104 determines if the number of “on” action flags is greater thanone. If the number of “on” action flags is greater than one, then instep 765, the CPU 104 randomly selects an action flag 608 (FIG. 6) fromthe plurality of “on” action flags 608. Each action flag 608 isassociated with an action event pointer 610 (FIG. 6). In addition, theCPU 104 determines an action location associated with the action eventpointer 610. Next, in step 770, the CPU 104 randomly selects a CBpointer 604 (FIG. 6) from the CB pointers 604 stored in the AE/CB dataarray 505 associated with the detected marker bit. In step 775, theaction generator 204 executes game instructions located by the actionevent pointer 610 associated with the selected action flag 608′ usingcamera behavior instructions located by the selected CB pointer 604. Themethod then continues at step 725.

[0046] Referring back to step 760, if the CPU 104 discovers that thenumber of “on” action flags is not greater than one, then in step 780,the CPU 104 selects the “on” action flag. The method then continues atstep 770. It should be noted that FIG. 7 illustrates one exemplaryembodiment of a method according to the present invention.Alternatively, the method may be practiced with more or less steps andin a different order.

[0047] The invention has been described above with reference to specificembodiments. It will, however, be evident that various modifications andchanges may be made thereto without departing from the broader spiritand scope of the invention. For example, the present invention may beused in video generation other than in a gaming environment. Theforegoing description and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded inan illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for creating an entertaining videosequence based upon video sound file data, comprising the steps of:processing the sound file data to detect marker bits; selecting anaction event for each detected marker bit; selecting a camera behaviorfor the selected action event; and executing the camera behavior to viewthe selected action event.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprisingthe step of determining an action location for the selected actionevent.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing thesound file data to detect marker bits further comprises the step ofdetecting marker bits in an “on” state.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein each detected marker bit is associated with at least one actionevent and at least one camera behavior.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein each detected marker bit marks a location in the sound file dataof a musical event.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the musical eventis an emotionally critical musical event.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the action event is an interaction between at least twocharacters.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action event is aninteraction between a character and an environment about the character.9. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera behavior is a camerafilter.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera behavior is acamera movement.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera behavioris a camera special effect.
 12. The method of claim 4, wherein the stepof selecting an action event for each detected marker bit furthercomprises randomly selecting an action event from a subset of the atleast one action event that corresponds to active action events to givethe video sequence randomness.
 13. An electronic-readable medium havingembodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a machine toperform method steps for creating an entertaining video sequence basedupon video sound file data, the method steps comprising: processing thesound file data to detect marker bits; selecting an action event foreach detected marker bit; selecting a camera behavior for the selectedaction event; and executing the camera behavior to view the selectedaction event.
 14. The electronic-readable medium of claim 13, furthercomprising the step of determining an action location for the selectedaction event.
 15. The electronic-readable medium of claim 13, whereineach detected marker bit is associated with at least one action eventand at least one camera behavior.
 16. The electronic-readable medium ofclaim 13, wherein each detected marker bit marks a location in the soundfile data of a musical event.
 17. The electronic-readable medium ofclaim 15, wherein the step of selecting an action event for eachdetected marker bit further comprises randomly selecting an action eventfrom a subset of the at least one action event that corresponds toactive action events to give the video sequence randomness.
 18. Anelectronic system for creating an entertaining video sequence based upona video sound file, comprising: a memory configured to store an actionevent/camera behavior (AE/CB) database and one or more director tracks;a sound processing unit coupled to the memory for processing a directorstrack selected from the one or more director tracks; and a processorcoupled to the memory and the sound processing unit, the processorconfigured to execute the selected directors track to detect markerbits, and to access the AE/CB database to select an AE and a CB.
 19. Theelectronic system of claim 18, wherein each detected marker bit is a “1”bit.
 20. The electronic system of claim 18, wherein each detected markerbit marks a musical event, and is associated with an AE/CB array in theAE/CB database.
 21. The electronic system of claim 20, wherein themusical event is a emotionally critical musical event.
 22. Theelectronic system of claim 20, wherein each AE/CB array includes one ormore action flag/AE pointer pairs, and one or more CB pointers.
 23. Theelectronic system of claim 22, wherein the memory is further configuredto store an action generator, the action generator executable by theprocessor for generating actions and for activating each action flag ofthe one or more action flag/AE pointer pairs if an action eventassociated with each action flag is active.
 24. The electronic system ofclaim 23, wherein the processor randomly selects one AE pointer from theone or more activated action flag/AE pointer pairs.
 25. The electronicsystem of claim 22, wherein the processor randomly selects one CBpointer from the one or more CB pointers.
 26. The electronic system ofclaim 22, wherein the processor executes an action generator to view anaction event corresponding to a selected AE pointer with a camerabehavior corresponding to a selected CB pointer.
 27. A method forcreating an entertaining video sequence based upon video sound filedata, comprising the steps of: processing the sound file data to detectmarker bits; determining a state of each detected marker bit; accessingan action event/camera behavior (AE/CB) array for each marker bit in a“1” state; selecting an action event from the accessed AE/CB array;selecting a camera behavior from the accessed AE/CB array; determiningan action location for the selected action event; and executing theselected camera behavior to view the selected action event at the actionlocation.
 28. A system for creating an entertaining video sequence basedupon video sound file data, comprising: means for processing the soundfile data to detect marker bits; means for selecting an action event foreach detected marker bit; means for selecting a camera behavior for theselected action event; and means for executing the camera behavior toview the selected action event.